Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart Famous Female Aviator Studio headshot portrait of American aviator Amelia Earhart, the first woman to complete a solo transatlantic flight, wearing a leather jacket. (circa 1932). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) By Dani Alexis Ryskamp, Contributing Writer Updated November 02, 2015. Who Was Amelia Earhart? As a pilot, Amelia Earhart set many world flying records. She became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to make a solo flight across both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Earhart also set several height and speed records in an airplane. Despite all these records, Amelia Earhart is perhaps best remembered for her mysterious disappearance, which has become one of the enduring mysteries of the 20th century. While attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world, she disappeared on July 2, 1937 while heading toward Howland's Island.

Dates: July 24, 1897 -- July 2, 1937(?) Also Known As: Amelia Mary Earhart, Lady Lindy Amelia Earhart’s Childhood Amelia Mary Earhart was born in her maternal grandparents’ home in Atchison, Kansas, on July 24, 1897 to Amy and Edwin Earhart. Although Edwin was a lawyer, he never earned the approval of Amy’s parents, Judge Alfred Otis and his wife, Amelia. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World In 1899, two-and-a-half years after Amelia’s birth, Edwin and Amy welcomed another daughter, Grace Muriel, into the world. Amelia Earhart spent much of her early childhood living with her Otis grandparents in Atchison during the school months and then spending her summers with her parents. Earhart’s early life was filled with outdoor adventures combined with the etiquette lessons expected of upper-middle-class girls of her day. Amelia (known as “Millie” in her youth) and her sister Grace Muriel (known as “Pidge”) loved to play together, especially outdoors. After visiting the World’s Fair in St.

Louis in 1904 , Amelia decided she wanted to build her own mini roller coaster in her backyard. Enlisting Pidge to help, the two built a homemade roller coaster on the roof of the tool shed, using planks, a wooden box, and lard for grease. Amelia took the first ride, which ended with a crash and some bruises – but she loved it. By 1908, Edwin Earhart had closed his private law firm and was working as a lawyer for a railroad in Des Moines, Iowa; thus, it was time for Amelia to move back in with her parents. That same year, her parents took her to the Iowa State Fair where 10-year-old Amelia saw an airplane for the very first time. Surprisingly, the airplane didn’t interest her. Problems at Home At first, life in Des Moines seemed to be going well for the Earhart family; however, it soon became obvious that Edwin had started to heavily drink alcohol. When his alcoholism got worse, Edwin eventually lost his job in Iowa and had trouble finding another. In 1915, with the promise of a job with the Great Northern Railway in St.

Paul, Minnesota, the Earhart family packed up their belongings and moved. However, the job fell through once they got there. Tired of her husband’s alcoholism and the family’s increasing money troubles, Amy Earhart moved herself and her daughters to Chicago, leaving their father behind in Minnesota. Edwin and Amy eventually divorced in 1924. Due to her family’s frequent moves, Amelia Earhart switched high schools six times, making it hard for her to make or keep friends during her teen years. She did well in her classes, but preferred sports. She graduated from Chicago’s Hyde Park High School in 1916 and is listed in the school’s yearbook as “the girl in brown who walks alone.” Later in life, however, she was known for her friendly and outgoing nature. After high school, Earhart went to the Ogontz School in Philadelphia, but she soon dropped out to become a nurse for returning World War I soldiers and for victims of the influenza epidemic of 1918 . First Flights It wasn’t until 1920, when Earhart was 23 years old, that she developed an interest in airplanes.

While visiting her father in California, she attended an air show and the stunt-flying feats she watched convinced her that she had to try flying for herself. Earhart took her first flying lesson on January 3, 1921. According to her instructors, Earhart wasn’t a “natural” at piloting an airplane; instead, she made up for a lack of talent with plenty of hard work and a passion for flying. Earhart received her “Aviator Pilot” certification from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale on May 16, 1921 -- a major step for any pilot at the time. Since her parents could not afford to pay for her lessons, Earhart worked several jobs to raise the money herself. She also saved up the money to buy her own airplane, a small Kinner Airster she called the Canary. In the Canary, she broke the women’s altitude record on October 22, 1922 by becoming the first woman to reach 14,000 feet in an airplane.

Earhart Becomes the First Woman to Fly Over the Atlantic In 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh made history by becoming the first person to fly non-stop across the Atlantic, from the U.S. to England. A year later, Amelia Earhart was asked to make a non-stop flight across the same ocean. She had been discovered by publisher George Putnam, who had been asked to look for a suitable female pilot to complete this feat. Since this was not to be a solo flight, Earhart joined a crew of two other aviators, both men. On June 17, 1928, the journey began when the Friendship, a Fokker F7 specially outfitted for the trip, took off from Newfoundland bound for England. Ice and fog made the trip difficult and Earhart spent much of the flight scribbling notes in a journal while her co-pilots, Bill Stultz and Louis Gordon, handled the plane. On June 18, 1928, after 20 hours and 40 minutes in the air, the Friendship landed in South Wales.

Although Earhart said she did not contribute any more to the flight than “a sack of potatoes” would have, the press saw her accomplishment differently. They started calling Earhart “Lady Lindy,” after Charles Lindbergh. Shortly after this trip, Earhart published a book about her experiences, titled 20 Hours 40 Minutes. Before long, Amelia Earhart was looking for new records to break in her own airplane. A few months after publishing 20 Hours 40 Minutes, she flew solo across the United States and back -- the first time a female pilot had made the journey alone. In 1929, she founded and participated in the Woman’s Air Derby, an airplane race from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio with a substantial cash prize. Flying a more powerful Lockheed Vega, Earhart finished third, behind noted pilots Louise Thaden and Gladys O’Donnell. On February 7, 1931, Earhart married publisher George Putnam, the man who had discovered her. Also in 1931, Earhart and several other female aviators banded together to start a professional international organization for female pilots, of which Earhart became the first president.

The Ninety-Niners, named because it originally had 99 members, still represents and supports female pilots today. Earhart published a second book about her accomplishments, The Fun of It, in 1932. Solo Across the Ocean Having won multiple competitions, flown in air shows, and set new altitude records, Amelia Earhart began looking for a bigger challenge. In 1932, she decided to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. On May 20, 1932, she took off again from Newfoundland, piloting a small Lockheed Vega. It was a dangerous trip: clouds and fog made it difficult to navigate, her plane’s wings became covered with ice, and the plane developed a fuel leak about two-thirds of the way across the ocean. Worse, the altimeter stopped working, so Earhart had no idea how far above the ocean’s surface her plane was -- a situation that nearly resulted in her crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. In serious danger, Earhart abandoned her plans to land at Southampton, England, and made for the first bit of land she saw.

She touched down in a sheep pasture in Ireland on May 21, 1932, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first-ever person to fly across the Atlantic twice. The solo Atlantic crossing was followed by more book deals, meetings with heads of state, and a lecture tour, as well as more flying competitions. In 1935, Earhart also made a solo flight from Hawaii to Oakland, California, becoming the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. This trip also made Earhart the first person to fly solo across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight Not long after making her Pacific flight in 1935, Amelia Earhart decided she wanted to try flying around the entire world. A U.S. Army Air Force crew had made the trip in 1924 and male aviator Wiley Post flew around the world by himself in 1931 and 1933. But Earhart had two new goals. First, she wanted to be the first woman to fly solo around the world. Second, she wanted to fly around the world at or near the equator, the planet’s widest point.

The previous flights had both circled the world much closer to the North Pole , where the distance was shortest. Earhart wanted to make the longest possible flight around the globe. Planning and preparation for the trip was difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Her plane, a Lockheed Electra, had to be completely re-fitted with additional fuel tanks, survival gear, scientific instruments, and a state-of-the-art radio. A 1936 test flight ended in a crash that destroyed the plane’s landing gear. Several months passed while the plane was fixed. Meanwhile, Earhart and her navigator, Frank Noonan, plotted their course around the world. The most difficult point in the trip would be the flight from Papua New Guinea to Hawaii because it required a fuel stop at Howland’s Island, a small coral island about 1,700 miles west of Hawaii. Aviation maps were poor at the time and the island would be difficult to find from the air. However, the stop at Howland’s Island was unavoidable because the plane could only carry about half the fuel needed to fly from Papua New Guinea to Hawaii, making a fuel stop essential if Earhart and Noonan were to make it across the South Pacific.

As difficult as it might be to find, Howland’s Island seemed like the best choice for a stop since it is positioned approximately half way between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. Once their course had been plotted and their plane readied, it was time for the final details. It was during this last minute preparation that Earhart decided not to take the full-sized radio antenna that Lockheed recommended, instead opting for a smaller antenna. The new antenna was lighter, but it also could not transmit or receive signals as well, especially in bad weather. On May 21, 1937, Amelia Earhart and Frank Noonan took off from Oakland, California, on the first leg of their trip. The plane landed first in Puerto Rico and then in several other locations in the Caribbean before heading to Senegal. They crossed Africa, stopping several times for fuel and supplies, then went on to Eritrea, India, Burma, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. There, Earhart and Noonan prepared for the toughest stretch of the trip -- the landing at Howland’s Island. Since every pound in the plane meant more fuel used, Earhart removed every non-essential item -- even the parachutes.

The plane was checked and re-checked by mechanics to ensure it was in top condition. However, Earhart and Noonan had been flying for over a month straight by this time and both were tired. On July 2, 1937, Earhart’s plane left Papua New Guinea heading toward Howland’s Island. For the first seven hours, Earhart and Noonan stayed in radio contact with the airstrip in Papua New Guinea. After that, they made intermittent radio contact with the U.S.S. Itsaca, a Coast Guard ship patrolling the waters below. However, reception was poor and messages between the plane and the Itsaca were frequently lost or garbled. Two hours after Earhart’s scheduled arrival at Howland’s Island, at about 10:30 a.m. local time on July 2, 1937, the Itsaca received a last static-filled message that indicated Earhart and Noonan could not see the ship or the island and they were almost out of fuel. The crew of the Itsaca tried to signal the ship’s location by sending up black smoke, but the plane did not appear. Neither the plane, Earhart, nor Noonan were ever seen or heard from again.

The Mystery Continues The mystery of what happened to Earhart, Noonan, and the plane has not yet been solved. In 1999, British archaeologists claimed to have found artifacts on a small island in the South Pacific that contained Earhart’s DNA, but the evidence is not conclusive. Near the plane’s last known location, the ocean reaches depths of 16,000 feet, well below the range of today’s deep-sea diving equipment. If the plane sank into those depths, it may never be recovered. Amelia Earhart - Biography, Facts, and Pictures Amelia Earhart By Stephen Sherman , Sept. 26, 2012. The world's most famous female aviator disappeared in 1937, as she attempted to become the first woman to fly around the world. With her navigator, Fred Noonan, her Lockheed Electra was last heard from about 100 miles from the tiny Pacific atoll, Howland Island, on July 2, 1937. President Roosevelt authorized an immediate search; no trace was ever found; notwithstanding the endless efforts by conspiracy theorists to find evidence that she landed on an island.

Over the years, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart has spawned almost as many conspiracy theories as the Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Kennedy Assassination. She achieved a number of aviation records: the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, in 1928 the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic, in 1932 the first person to solo from Hawaii to California, in 1935 Guided by her publicist and husband, George Putnam, she made headlines in the era when aviation gripped the public's imagination. Childhood and Education Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Kansas, the daughter of Edwin and Amy Earhart. At the age of three, she was sent to live with her grandmother (her namesake), mainly because the old woman needed company and a distraction from the deaths of her mother, her son, and her daughter-in-law, as well as the poor mental condition of her husband Alfred. The grandparents (or grandmother) raised Amelia during her early childhood. She liked their home in Atchison, Kansas, especially her large bedroom with views of the nearby river, now a museum open to the public.

She enjoyed her life with her grandparents: learning to read at five, and secure in a place where it seemed that almost everyone was family. But her grandmother was timid, and a worrier, and did not approve of Amelia's tomboy tendencies, so Amelia kept her pony-riding, tree-climbing, snow-sledding, and hunting activities to herself. Her parents were only 50 miles away, and she summered with them, so she remained close to them during these years. Education When she was seven, her father Edwin took the family to the St. Louis World's Fair, where, on riding the Ferris wheel, she learned that she rather enjoyed heights. She learned to build and make things with her own hands, once making a crude roller coaster out of two-by-fours, a packing box, and roller-skate wheels. She was an avid reader, and even as a child read Harper's Magazine for Young People, and the novels of Dickens and Thackeray. One of her favorite poems was "Atalanta in Calydon" by Algernon Charles Swinburne; it's a poem about a warrior maiden, who hunts and kills a boar with Meleager.

From the first grade, she attended the College Preparatory School in Atchison. It was a tiny place, with only about 30 students, housed in a building that used to be a stable. Amelia was bright, but her independent spirit and lack of interest in recitation did not endear her to the teachers. In high school, cheerleading was not enough for her, she wanted to play on the basketball team. Like Pappy Boyington , her family circumstances were unsettled, marked by moves and alcoholism in the family. The odd family arrangement (Amelia living with her grandparents in Atchison, her younger sister Muriel with the girls' parents in Kansas City) lasted until Amelia was ten, when she rejoined with her mother and father. Her father Edwin, was well-educated, but tended to the impractical; money just slipped through his fingers. His in-laws, the Otises, helped him out a lot (including taking care of Amelia), but Edwin's extravagance remained a problem. In 1908, he got a new job, with the Rock Island railroad, which required him to move to Des Moines.

Now, the arrangement with the Atchison grandparents was no longer feasible, so Amelia joined them in Iowa, and saw her first airplane, at the 1908 Iowa State Fair. For a few years, Edwin did well, moving into a newer, larger houses almost every year, as his income grew. But his spendthrift nature won out, and he kept living beyond his means, and increasingly turning to alcohol. He moved out for a time, but Amy (Amelia's mother) implored him to return. The death of Amelia's grandparents, the Otises, was the final blow. The Otises were quite wealthy, with an estate worth over $170,000 (a huge sum in those days). While the will sought to provide for the grandchildren, it excluded Edwin and Amy. A lengthy, messy struggle ensued. During this time, Edwin had lost his job, and was forced to accept a menial position in St. Paul, which required another family move, to Minnesota. In the 1913-14 school year, at St.

Paul Central High School, where Amelia was more in control of her own destiny, she did very well, keeping a grade point average in the high eighties, with a curriculum including Latin, German, and Physics. In 1916, she matriculated at Ogontz, a highly-regarded women's college, what used to be called a "finishing school," outside of Philadelphia. In her three semesters there, Amelia played field hockey, studied Shakespeare & Latin, and attended concerts of the Philadelphia Symphony. When the United States entered World War One in 1917, Amelia was drawn in and served as a nurse with the Volunteer Aid Detachment (VAD) of St. John Ambulance Brigade. Flight She took her first ride in an airplane in 1920. After her flight with barnstormer Frank Hawks, she said "As soon as we left the ground, I knew I myself had to fly." Indeed, within a few days, she took her first flying lesson, in a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny.

Six months later, she bought her own airplane, a yellow Kinner Airster, that she dubbed "The Canary." Like Gabby Gabreski , she was not a naturally gifted pilot, but she persevered, built up her flying time, and even broke the woman's altitude record in 1922. The mid-Twenties were difficult years for Amelia. Her mother finally divorced Edwin, thus ending that part of Amelia's family life. She studied at Columbia for a time, but lack of money compelled her to withdraw. She had a long-term engagement to one Sam Chapmen, but they never married. She was active in aviation and social work, living in Medford, Massachusetts for a time. She flew whenever she could, distributing free passes to a carnival on one occasion, and was active in Boston aviation circles. Across the Atlantic She became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic on June 18-19, 1928. The flight was the brainchild of Amy Guest, a wealthy, aristocratic American expatriate living in London. Aware of the huge publicity that would accrue to the first woman to fly the Atlantic, the 55 year old Mrs.

Guest had purchased a Fokker F7 trimotor from Commander Richard Byrd, to make the flight herself. Her family objected, and she relented, as long as the "right sort" of woman could make the flight. The "right sort" would take a good picture, be well-educated, and not be a publicity-seeking gold-digger. The Guest family hired George Putnam, a New York publicist who had promoted Lindbergh's book We, to look for a suitable women pilot. He selected the little-known Amelia Earhart, and introduced her as "Lady Lindy". While the flight instantly made her world-famous, she was little more than a passenger in the Fokker tri-motor "Friendship." They took off from Trepassy, Newfoundland, and after a 20 hour and 40 minute flight, landed in Burry Port, Wales. When they went on to London, another huge mob welcomed them. The pilots, Wilmer Stutz and Louis Gordon, were all but forgotten in the media frenzy surrounding the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Pictures and Comments Amelia Earhart was a photographer and publicist's dream. Not only did she fly airplanes and break aviation records, she looked good doing so.

She seemed to be both beautiful and down-to-earth, the type of good looks that might let her be called "America's Sweetheart." Shown on the left are a small sample of the countless photographs taken of Amelia Earhart in the 1920s and 1930s. Apparently she posed willingly for all of them: studio portraits, glamour shots. head shots, full-length pictures, in and around various airplanes, with numerous celebrities and politicians, etc. The first photo, taken about 1930, is a classic glamour shot of the era: a three-quarter view, dressed with a fur collar, soft focus, and complimentary lighting. You can see a faint inscription in the lower part of the picture. By comparison, the second one is less contrived, and probably a more accurate picture of Amelia, as you might see her on the street. I love the one of her (holding a bouquet of flowers) and New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker, the third photo. He was a character himself, and he looks every bit the part of the glad-handling, smooth-talking, but corrupt, Irish politician that he was. Fourth and fifth are two more formal portraits.

Note the desk and vase that she is standing next to in the fifth one. The sixth picture shows Amelia Earhart checking the airplane's equipment before her first flight across the Atlantic in 1928. Continue reading about Amelia the Aviator © 1999- Women in Aviation and Space History - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum women in aviation and space history National Air and Space Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution Amelia Earhart Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight (208); Golden Age of Flight (105) Amelia Earhart is probably the most famous female pilot in aviation history, an accolade due both to her aviation career and to her mysterious disappearance. On May 20–21, 1932, Earhart became the first woman — and the second person after Charles Lindbergh — to fly nonstop and solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Flying a red Lockheed Vega 5B, she left Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, Canada, and landed about 15 hours later near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The feat made Earhart an instant worldwide sensation and proved she was a courageous and able pilot.

Then, on August 24–25, she made the first solo, nonstop flight by a woman across the United States, from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, establishing a women's record of 19 hours and 5 minutes and setting a women's distance record of 3,938 kilometers (2,447 miles). Born in Atchison, Kansas, on July 24, 1897, Amelia Earhart displayed an independent style from childhood, including keeping a scrapbook on accomplished women, taking an auto repair course, and attending college (but never graduating). She attended her first flying exhibition in 1918 while serving as a Red Cross nurse's aide in Toronto, Canada. She took her first flight in California in December 1920, with veteran flyer Frank Hawks, and declared, "As soon as I left the ground, I knew I myself had to fly." Her first instructor was Anita "Neta" Snook who gave her lessons in a Curtiss Jenny. To pay for flight lessons, Earhart worked as a telephone company clerk and photographer.

Earhart soloed in 1921, bought her first airplane, a Kinner Airster, in 1922 and wasted no time in setting a women's altitude record of 4,267 meters (14,000 feet). In 1923, Earhart became the 16th woman to receive an official Fédération Aéronautique Internationale pilot license. Earhart moved to east to be near her sister and mother, and, after a second year at Columbia University in New York City, began working in Boston at the Denison Settlement House as a social worker with immigrant families. In the spring of 1928, she was flying at Dennison Airport, and had joined the local National Aeronautic Association, when she was offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic as a passenger. Amy Phipps Guest owned the Fokker F.VII Friendship and wanted to make the flight but when her family objected, she asked aviator Richard Byrd and publisher/publicist George Putnam to find "the right sort of girl" for the trip.

On June 17, 1928, Earhart and pilots Wilmer Stultz and Lou Gordon departed Trepassey, Newfoundland and, though promised time at the controls of the tri-motor, she was never given the opportunity to fly the aircraft during the 20-hour 40-minute flight to Burry Point, Wales. She did get in the pilot's seat for a time on the final hop to Southampton, England. The dramatic 1928 flight brought her international attention and the opportunity to earn a living in aviation. Putnam became her manager and she began lecturing and writing on aviation around the country. In August of 1929, she placed third in the All-Women's Air Derby, behind Louise Thaden and Gladys O'Donnell, which was the first transcontinental air race for women (from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio) and a race she helped organized.Â This race, closely followed by the press and by the public who flocked to the stops along the way, proved that women could fly in rugged and competitive conditions. A few months after the Derby, a group of women pilots decided to form an organization for social, recruitment, and business purposes.

Ninety-nine women, out of 285 licensed U.S. female pilots, became charter members, inspiring the organization's name The Ninety-Nines (99s); Earhart became their first president. Female pilots were keenly aware of the lack of social and economic independence for all women and were determined to help one another. In 1930, after only 15 minutes of instruction, Earhart became the first woman to fly an autogiro, made by Pitcairn and featuring rotating blades to increase lift and allow short takeoffs and landings. Earhart set the first autogiro altitude record and made two autogiro cross-country tours, which were marked by three public "crack-ups," as she called them. Though Earhart was the most famous woman pilot, she was not the most skilled. Determined to prove herself, Earhart decided to fly the Atlantic Ocean again, but this time alone. She thought a transatlantic flight would bring her respect, something other women sought too -- Ruth Nichols made an attempt in 1931 crashing in Canada, but she was planning another attempt when Earhart succeeded.

During her 3,260-kilometer (2,026-mile) nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic on May 20-21, 1932, Earhart fought fatigue, a leaky fuel tank, and a cracked manifold that spewed flames out the side of the engine cowling. Ice formed on the Vega's wings and caused an unstoppable 3,000-foot descent to just above the waves. Realizing she was on a course far north of France, she landed in a farmer's field in Culmore, near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Acclaimed in London, Paris, and Rome, she returned home to a ticker tape parade in New York City and honors in Washington, D.C. By July and August she was back in the Vega for her transcontinental flight. On January 11–12, 1935, Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland, this time in a Lockheed 5C Vega.

Although some called it a publicity stunt for Earhart and Hawaiian sugar plantation promoters, it was a dangerous3,875-kilometer (2,408-mile) flight that had already claimed several lives. Of that flight she remarked: "I wanted the flight just to contribute. I could only hope one more passage across that part of the Pacific would mark a little more clearly the pathway over which an air service of the future will inevitably fly." Later that year, Earhart made record flights from Los Angeles to Mexico City and from Mexico City to Newark, New Jersey. She also placed fifth in the 1935 Bendix Race. Earhart was a two-time Harmon Trophy winner and was also the recipient of the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross. Earhart became the first woman vice president of the National Aeronautic Association, which authorized official records and races. She persuaded the organization to establish separate female records because women did not have the money or planes — and thus the experience — to fairly compete against men for "world" titles. Earhart served as a partner in the Transcontinental Air Transport and Ludington airlines and lobbied Congress for aviation legislation.

She promoted the safety and efficiency of air travel to women, on the premise that they would influence men. She tirelessly lectured across the country on the subjects of aviation and women's issues and wrote for Cosmopolitan and various magazines. She wrote about her flights and career in 20 Hours and 40 Minutes, The Fun of It, and Last Flight, which was published after her disappearance. Earhart married George Putnam in 1931 — hesitantly — on the condition that they would separate in a year if unhappy. Though some called it a marriage of convenience, they remained together. Earhart designed a line of "functional" women's clothing, including dresses, blouses, pants, suits, and hats, initially using her own sewing machine, dress form, and seamstress. Though "tousle-haired" and rather thin, she photographed well and modeled her own designs for promotional spreads. Earhart also designed a line of lightweight, canvas-covered plywood luggage sold by Orenstein Trunk of Newark, New Jersey. Earhart luggage was sold into the 1990s and featured an Amelia Earhart luggage key, prompting some people to believe they possessed her "personal" aircraft or suitcase key.

In 1935, Earhart became a visiting professor at Purdue University at the invitation of Purdue president Edward Elliott, an advocate of higher education for women, especially in engineering and science. Earhart, a former premedical student, served as a counselor for women and a lecturer in aeronautics. Elliott was also interested in supporting Earhart's flying career and convinced Purdue benefactors to purchase a twin-engine Lockheed 10-E Electra for her. Many companies contributed their latest aviation technology to her Flying Laboratory. Earhart decided to make a world flight and she planned a route as close to the equator as possible, which meant flying several long overwater legs to islands in the Pacific Ocean. On March 20, 1937, Earhart crashed on takeoff at Luke Field, Honolulu, Hawaii, ending her westbound world flight that had begun at Oakland, California. The Electra was returned to Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California, for extensive repairs. On June 1, 1937, Earhart began an eastbound round-the-world flight from Oakland, via Miami, Florida, in the Electra with Fred Noonan as her navigator.

They reached Lae, New Guinea on June 29, having flown 35,405 kilometers (22,000 miles) with 11,265 kilometers (7,000 miles) more to go to Oakland. They then departed Lae on July 2 for the 4,113-kilometer (2,556-mile) flight to their next refueling stop, Howland Island, a three-kilometer (two-mile) long and less-than-a-mile wide dot in the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, Earhart and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Itasca, anchored off shore of Howland, could not complete any direct two-way radio communication and neither Earhart nor Noonan were competent at Morse Code. However, the Itasca did receive several strong voice transmissions from Earhart as she approached the area, the last at 8:43 am stating: "We are on the line of position 156-137. Will repeat message. We will repeat this message on 6210 kilocycles. Wait. Listening on 6210 kilocycles.

We are running north and south." Earhart and Noonan never found Howland and they were declared lost at sea on July 19, 1937 following a massive sea and air search. Earhart's disappearance spawned countless theories involving radio problems, poor communication, navigation or pilot skills, other landing sites, spy missions and imprisonment, and even living quietly in New Jersey or on a rubber plantation in the Philippines. The most reasonable explanation, based on the known facts of her flight, is that they were unable to locate Howland Island, ran out of fuel, and ditched into the Pacific Ocean. Earhart's disappearance remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the 20th century, and it often overshadows her true legacies as a courageous and dedicated aviator and as an enduring inspiration to women. Amelia Earhart Record Setter 1922 — Feminine altitude record of 4,267 meters (14,000 feet). 1928 — First woman to fly across the Atlantic as a passenger in the Fokker F.VII Friendship. 1929 — Feminine speed record. 1931 — First woman to fly an autogiro.

1931 — Autogiro altitude record of 5,612 meters (18,415 feet). 1932 — First woman (and only the second person) to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic. Also first person to cross the Atlantic twice by air. 1932 — First woman to fly solo and nonstop across the United States. 1933 — Reset her transcontinental record. 1935 — First person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii, to the U.S. mainland (Oakland, California). 1935 — Speed record between Mexico City and Washington, D.C. 1935 — First person to fly solo from Mexico City to Newark, New Jersey. Amelia Earhart Found in Google Doodle | Search Engine Watch Amelia Earhart Found in Google Doodle Twitter 0 The search for U.S. aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart has yet to turn up any evidence in the 75 years since she vanished somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Earhart, who was born on this date 115 years ago, is the subject of the latest Google Doodle .

Google’s logo features Earhart, a yellow scarf blowing in the breeze, climbing into a Lockheed Vega 5b. Google’s letters appear on the underside of the wings. While Google’s search engine routinely helps users find billions of websites and answers daily, the real-life search for wreckage from Earhart’s final flight has been a very expensive failure. This year, an expedition led by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery spent another $2.2 million attempting to locate her missing plane – a Lockheed Model 10 Electra. Earhart’s disappearance occurred as she was in the midst of attempting to fly around the world, an attempt that officially began in Miami in June but ended tragically near Howland Island, on July 2, 1937, a result of communication and navigation issues, and not enough fuel. A $4 million rescue effort proved unsuccessful. Earhart’s love affair with flying began in 1920, when she took at 10 minute flight that changed her life and would eventually catapult her to celebrity status. She began taking flying lessons in January 1921 and was the 16th woman to receive a piloting license in 1923.

Earhart set many aviation records in her time. Noteworthy among them were the women’s world flying speed of 181.18 mph (in July 1930) and the transcontinental flying time of 17 hours, 7 minutes, and 30 seconds (in 1933). Share this article Four most important search marketing news stories of the week She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, doing so in 1932 with a time of 14 hours and 56 minutes – five years after Charles Lindberg’s did it first (Earhart was dubbed “Lady Lindy”). But this wasn’t her first trip across the pond. Earhart was the first female passenger (though she admitted she felt more like “baggage”) to make a transatlantic flight in 1928 – one that lasted 20 hours and 40 minutes. The female icon was also the first person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, California, doing so in 1935, which also made her the first person to fly across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Other firsts to her credit: first person to fly solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City; first person to fly from Mexico City to Newark; and first person to fly from the Red Sea to India. Earhart was declared legally dead in 1939. As a warning, expect Google’s Amelia Earhart Doodle to also mysteriously vanish from its homepage once your clock hits midnight. What do you think happened to Amelia Earhart? Do you think we’ll ever know? More Google Doodles News | Women’s History Month Facts Women’s History Month Facts Posted on March 03, 2016 Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She used her fame to become an advocate of both women’s rights and commercial aviation. Amelia Earhart: The First Woman to fly the Atlantic - Homeschooling Home / Blog / Amelia Earhart: The First Woman to fly the Atlantic Amelia Earhart: The First Woman to fly the Atlantic Posted by: Kath Bates at 10:00 am LinkedIn On 24th August 1928, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the North American continent and back.

Born on July 24, 1897 in Kansas, America, Amelia’s interest in flying began after seeing wounded pilots returning from World War I, when she volunteered as a nurse’s aide for the Red Cross. She would regularly spend her free time watching the Royal Flying Corps practicing. Then, at a Long Beach air show in 1920, she took a plane ride that transformed her life, being so taken with the experience that she is quoted as saying, “300 feet off the ground I knew I had to fly.” In the summer of 1921, Earhart purchased a second-hand biplane, and on October 22, 1922, she flew it to 14,000 feet, which was the world altitude record for female pilots at the time. Shortly after, on May 15, 1923, Earhart became only the 16th woman in the world to be issued a pilot’s license. In 1927 Earhart became a member of the Boston branch of the American Aeronautical Society. She wrote articles promoting flying in the local newspaper, which gave her a small following some local celebrity.

In April 1928, Earhart received a phone call from a pilot and publicity man named Captain Hilton H. Railey, who asked if she’d like to fly across the Atlantic. She travelled to New York to meet with project coordinators, and though in the event it was deemed too dangerous for a woman to actually pilot the plane at any stage of the journey, it was of no little significance that she had gained enough status to be selected to become the first woman passenger on a transatlantic flight. Pilot Wilmer “Bill” Stultz and co-pilot/mechanic Louis E. “Slim” Gordon, took off with Amelia on June 17, 1928, from Newfoundland. Then, 20 hours and 40 minutes later, they landed at Burry Point, Wales, in the United Kingdom. Becoming ever more popular as a celebrity, Earhart set her sights on establishing herself as a respected aviator. Soon after returning from the transatlantic fight, she set off on a successful solo flight across North America.

In 1931, Earhart powered a Pitcairn PCA-2 auto-gyro and set a world altitude record of 18,415 feet. In early 1932, Earhart and her husband worked on secret plans for a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. On the morning of May 20th 1932, Amelia took off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, but she quickly ran into difficulty as she encountered thick clouds and ice on the wings. After about 12 hours the conditions got worse, and the plane began to experience mechanical difficulties. Amelia knew she wasn’t going to make it to Paris as planned, so she landed in a field in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This 15 hour flight, despite difficulties, established Amelia as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She would take several other flights over the next few years, including a solo trip from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, California, which made her the first person to have flown across both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Sadly for Amelia Earhart, however, perhaps her most famous flight would and will continue to be her last.

The mystery of that story will be looked at in a second article, which will appear shortly, also on this site. Carol Vorderman to fly around the world solo inspired by Amelia Earhart - Mirror Online Carol Vorderman to fly around the world solo inspired by Amelia Earhart The television presenter is embark on a mammoth challenge and plans to fly around the world solo Share Carol Vorderman prepares to do acrobatics in a Bulldog Aircraft (Photo: SWNS) Share Get celebs updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email For the past two years, Carol Vorderman has spent her days gossiping and giggling alongside a gaggle of female friends. Now, the star is swapping the comfort and security of ITV’s Loose Women panel for a terrifying solo expedition around the world. Inspired by her aviation heroines, Amelia Earhart and Amy Johnson, she has revealed she will embark on a daunting round-the-world flight. Having studied the life and times of Amelia – the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic – fearless Carol, 52, will attempt to recreate, and complete, the American flier’s daring but doomed 1937 flight around the globe.

The popular TV host’s boyfriend, Graham Duff, a former Red Arrows Squadron Leader, will join her on the trip in a support aircraft. Carol says: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve got to the point in life where I just decided to do it. “It has been my dream for decades and if I don’t do it now, I never will. I’m totally obsessed with flying. "I just love the freedom and the buzz... it is like another world when you’re up there. It’s incredibly exciting and I can’t wait... although there are some pretty terrifying bits along the way.” After developing an interest in aviation as a young girl growing up in North Wales, Carol went to Cambridge University to read engineering in an effort to get a job with British Airways. But in 1982, after graduating and starting work as a junior civil engineer, Carol instead landed a job on Channel 4 show Countdown. Over the next 26 years, as the maths ace became a household name, so her schoolgirl dreams took a back seat.

However, after meeting one-time military display flier Graham – known as Duffy – two years ago and going on a series of romantic aerial dates, the broadcaster’s desire to reach for the skies was kindled once more. She started her training to learn to fly with her 21-year-old daughter Katie, during a trip to California last summer. But it was only after breaking her nose in a freak fall earlier this year that Carol and Duffy began seriously plotting their “Big Project”. Currently flying at least four times a week, she plans to secure her pilot’s licence in August before setting out on her spectacular adventure next year. During the arduous 29,000-mile flight, Carol will be camping overnight in various airfield tents and taking in countries including Cuba, Mexico, Sudan, Malaysia and Pakistan. She says: “When I broke my nose I couldn’t go to work for four weeks so we flew an awful lot and the bug just really, really bit. “We started talking about it properly at that time, late March, and I sort of made the decision for something good to come out of something bad: my big project.

“It’s not like you just fly from one major airport to another – it’s one airfield to another, get the tent out the back and kip overnight, and then get back in again and set off. “I just can’t wait but I’ve got to become a very good pilot first, learning how to fly in all sorts of conditions and just put in the hours. “So it’s push, push, push right now...” She and Graham have bought their own plane, a Diamond DA40 single engine craft with four seats. “We’ve named her Sputts,” she laughs. “She’s really sweet, gorgeous and goes at about 130-140 miles an hour, which is not particularly fast for a plane. People think it’s a really expensive hobby but it’s actually not.” Chatting animatedly about her heroines – both of whom died, mid-flight, in unexplained circumstances – Carol is understandably nervous about taking on the challenge. Pioneering flier Amy Johnson, from Hull, gained global fame when, in 1930, she became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.

She was killed during the Second World War in 1941, while transporting an RAF plane over the Thames Estuary. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic and the first person to make a solo flight across both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. But on a flight around the world in 1937, Amelia was never seen again. Her plane disappeared somewhere over the Pacific en route to Howland Island and she was declared dead on January 5, 1939, aged 41. Despite the obvious dangers, Carol is confident that she can complete her mission. She says: “Amelia and Amy were heroic women who believed in woman and machine as one. At a time when women were seen as pretty little things who needed only to be home-makers, they blazed their trails. “Am I nervous? Well, there are some really frightening bits when you cross the Pacific – Amelia did it the long way over the equator. “The Pacific more or less covers half the world so there are some legs where I’ll have to stay awake for 20 hours or more. It will be tough.

“But to quote Leonardo da Vinci: ‘For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.’” In her usual attire: TV star Carol Vorderman (Photo: Getty) Carol spoke to ITV bosses last week and hopes to work her role on Loose Women around the trip. She explains: “I’ve asked to reduce my days on Loose Women because I want to fulfil this lifelong dream of flying around the world, following Amelia Earhart.” Last night a spokeswoman for ITV said: “Carol is a fantastic Loose Woman and we will be supporting her all the way on her forthcoming challenge.” Since dating good-looking Duffy, a former Iraq War fighter jet pilot 14 years her junior, the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain host has certainly gained a new spring to her towering, Louboutined step. However, determined to carry out her daunting flight entirely alone, Graham, 38, will accompany her on the trip – from some distance behind. "Duffy will fly the support plane,” she says, chatting from the Isle of Man where she flew into from Bristol yesterday to watch the TT racing action. “I’ve always wanted to fly, to be a pilot.

“I went from a comprehensive school in North Wales a year early at age 17 to Cambridge – in the days when comprehensive kids never got into Cambridge – to read engineering because it was the best way to convince British Airways to take me as a trainee pilot because, at that time, the RAF wouldn’t take women pilots. “But in 1981, the year I graduated, British Airways closed down their training school because of the oil crisis and I was left stranded. I was bereft. “But a year later I ended up on Countdown. “But I never, ever gave up on my dream. I just can’t believe it’s now finally happening...” Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent What are some facts about Amelia Earhart? | Reference.com What are some facts about Amelia Earhart? A: Quick Answer One of the most well-known facts about Amelia Earhart is that she vanished on July 2, 1937 while attempting the first around-the-world flight to take place along the equator. Earhart left for the trip in June 1937 and vanished along with her navigator, Frederick Noonan.

Full Answer Other facts about Amelia Earhart include that she was the first person to fly solo over both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, that she was a female career consultant at Purdue University, and that prior to becoming involved in aviation, she worked as both a nurse's aide and a social worker. Amelia also enrolled as a premed student at Columbia University before moving to California. Earhart was the first female to receive the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, and the U.S. Post office issued an airmail stamp in her honor. George Putnam, the man who later became Earhart's husband, chose her as the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic. Earhart took up aviation as a hobby while living in California and purchased her first airplane in 1922. Another interesting fact about Amelia Mary Earhart is that she was named after her two grandmothers: Amelia Harres Otis and Mary Wells Earhart. This was a tradition in her family.

Question: Who was the first woman to fly solo across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans?
Answer: AMELIA EARHART